Innocence
by mamoochiemilo
Summary: Sephiroth had mixed feelings about his childhood.
1. Bad Day

Innocence

Bad Day

His hair was silver and long, his eyes were green and cat-like. The young Sephiroth lay in the lab watching the approaching man. The man was dressed in a white lab coat and his black hair was tied into a pony tail. Sephiroth knew him as Professor Hojo and Professor Hojo knew Sephiroth as an experiment.

"Wake up!" Hojo yelled

"Why?" Sephiroth whined

"Do I really need to give a six year old an answer?" Hojo growled

Sephiroth sat up and thought of what they would do today, Hojo never woke him up this early. He got dressed and stood near the door. Hojo opened the door and they walked towards the training room. President Shinra was waiting for Hojo in a room to watch Sephiroth. Sephiroth was pushed into a room and given his sword, Masamune. He looked at the monster in front of him, the behemoth.

An hour later, he was lying on the ground unconscious with scratches, cuts, and bruises all over his face and body. Hojo rushed in and dragged the young boy outside before they could be attacked. President Shinra frowned at Hojo and the boy, he then left to return to his "work."

Sephiroth woke up in the lab again and Hojo glared at him as he sat up. All of a sudden, he felt a fist smash into his nose, making him look even worse. Soon, Sephiroth had broken ribs and Hojo walked out of the room for an hour. When he came back to bandage his ribs, Sephiroth looked at him curiously.

"Do I have a mother?" He asked

"Yes." Hojo replied

"What's her name?" Sephiroth wondered

"Jenova."Hojo answered angrily

Sephiroth lay back while Hojo bandaged him up and finally left. Hojo walked out remembering the short conversation he had just had with his son. He remembered when the child was born and his real mother, Lucrecia had died. That was when Gast was still there and he had named him Sephiroth. Hojo had just wanted to call him Experiment something or other. Gast had had a more fatherly relationship with him than Hojo had. But Gast had betrayed Shinra by leaving with the Ancient, Ifalna. Sephiroth had been three years old and didn't remember a lot about Gast now. He had been injected with mako and Jenova cells. Jenova was a calamity that had fallen from the sky and her cells were used in experiments under the name of the Jenova Project. Professor Hollander was working on that with a woman from Banora. Sephiroth was Hojo's most precious specimen and never let other children near him. He was now worried that President Shinra would take some if not all of the money he was investing in Project S. Sephiroth had performed poorly and he was supposed to be the youngest ever to make SOLDIER. Sephiroth watched the ceiling stop spinning and sat up once again, one of the lab assistants came in with a glass of water. Sephiroth wasn't in the lab any longer because the door had opened and the assistant had put their keycard on a table near the door. When the assistant realized what he had done, she ran out of the door, dropping the glass. The glass landed on the floor with a loud crash and water spilled everywhere. He was running fast and swiped the keycard on the main exit of the lab. He dropped it and ran out of the door, the assistant out of breath behind him. He got into the elevator and pressed a number. When he got out, an infantryman saw him and looked at him with curiosity. His eyes said it all. Why is this kid in the Shinra Electric Company Building? Why does he have silver hair?

"Hey, little guy. What are you doing here?" the man asked

"Hojo." Sephiroth muttered

"What's your name?" he questioned

"Sephiroth." The boy answered

"Well, I guess I'll take you to training with me then." He sighed

He would have told the child to go find his parents wherever they were in Midgar but he looked like he was trying to escape from something. He would turn him in to the SOLDIER first class before they set off to monitor Midgar.

When he arrived, Sephiroth stayed by his side. The first noticed quickly and called he and the boy over.

"I was going to hand him over to you because he was wandering around the building." The infantryman explained

The SOLDIER operative took Sephiroth's hand until his duty was done. He then took him back to Hojo's lab.

"Sorry, but Hojo would kill me if I kept you any longer." He said

He went in to meet Hojo face to face to discuss the situation. Hojo snatched Sephiroth's hand and threw him into a room. The man disliked how Hojo treated the child but feared what he would do if he spoke his opinion.

"I'm sorry that I had to wait to return him to you, Professor Hojo. An infantryman found him wandering and gave him to me in the middle of training ,so, I had to wait until it was ended." He explained

"Well, return to your duties." Hojo replied

He entered Sephiroth's new room and saw him lying on the ground.

"Get up!" He yelled

"I'm sorry for misbehaving." Sephiroth apologized

"You are never going to do that again."

Hojo grabbed his upper arm and took him to face a tube. Sephiroth took his clothes off and stepped in as always. Hojo locked it and pressed a button that filled it with mako.

A/N: If you have any suggestions about what I should do for the next chapter please review

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING, although I wish I did, IT ALL BELONGS TO SQUARE ENIX


	2. Shots

Sephiroth woke up to green liquid surrounding him. He screamed but the mako prevented him making a sound. Hojo entered the room and let him out, the boy began gasping for breath while his body adjusted to normal oxygen again.

"You should be used to this by now." Hojo scowled

"Sorry, Sir." He coughed

"Go and get dressed. You got me in big trouble and you are going to need a lot of training before The President comes again." Hojo growled

Sephiroth ran and closed the door to his room. He found black cargo pants, black boots, a black sleeveless sweater and shoulder pads. It was similar to a first class SOLDIER uniform. As he laid on his bed, his eyes slowly began to close. His dream was about his favorite person, Professor Gast. He remember the times he had spent with Gast until that day when Hojo had come. He had asked about Gast, and Hojo had answered with the announcement of his death. Sephiroth remembered how he had made the mistake of crying.

"Why are you crying?" Hojo had asked

"Gast is gone." Sephiroth had replied

"You do not show weakness at any time, Sephiroth." Hojo scolded

Sephiroth awoke to see a lab assistant tapping his left shoulder. She looked at him and waited until he was fully awake.

"Professor Hojo wants to see you in room number eight." She explained

Sephiroth stood up and felt a hand on his back guiding him to said room. He hated being supervised like this all the time. Upon entry, Hojo shut the door behind Sephiroth leaving them trapped together. He told Sephiroth to lie down on the examination table.

"You'll just be getting a few vaccinations today." Hojo informed him

Sephiroth grimaced as a needle was pushed into his arm. He knew that he was also getting mako because it burned like nothing had ever done before. He knew nothing about the rest of the vaccinations.


	3. Hope

He began to feel drowsy and the lab assistant carried him back to the room.

"Professor, he's not going to be ready for training tomorrow." The lab assistant explained

"Did you just say that my experiment will not be ready? He is always ready."Hojo snapped

"He's a child, though, Professor." The assistant whispered

But as Sephiroth sank into his bed, the voices disappeared and the room slowly faded. He dreamt that he had a mother and a father. They lived in a house far away from the lab. There was no Mako in sight and he never had to train. It was heaven to him, especially with no Hojo.

Soon, that all disappeared and he was back into his normal life again. For the first time, no one had woken him up. He looked at the clock and it said 6:00 AM. He had never been awake at this time, but Hojo said that all adults woke up at that time. But Sephiroth was seven, almost eight now. Wasn't an adult a lot older than seven?

Regardless, he had always wondered what the lab looked like this early in the morning. He tried to open the door and it wouldn't budge. Seconds later, sirens blared and red lights began to flash. He saw some infantrymen run towards him and open the door. They grabbed his arms and held him back. Sephiroth did not try to fight against them because he would just get in trouble with Hojo. Speak of the devil, the scientist appeared.

"Trying to escape again, Sephiroth?" Hojo asked

"No, Sir." Sephiroth shouted

"Turn off the alarms!" Hojo yelled

Sephiroth flinched

"I like that you woke up early but you will be punished for this little act of yours."

"No,please." Sephiroth yelped

Hojo commanded the infantrymen to let him go and he crumpled to the floor, unable to stand. He was crying and begging for no punishment. The lab assistant ran towards the small boy.

"Professor, don't hurt him! He wasn't trying to escape." She yelled

"Sephiroth, stop crying." Hojo ignored the assistant

Sephiroth wiped the tears from his eyes and looked up at the lab assistant gratefully. He knew he would never see her again, though. Nobody stayed long, especially if they stood up for him. Soon, the door was locked again and he heard the yelling coming from Hojo's office. The woman walked out of the lab crying because she had to leave the boy in this nightmare. As he heard his last hope leave, he whispered something very kind.

"Goodbye."


	4. Fighting

Hojo came back and looked at Sephiroth in disappointment.

"You're lucky that I need you for training today." Hojo growled

Sephiroth continued to look at his feet while Hojo scolded him for trying to escape. He wondered where the former lab assistant had gone.

"Are you listening to me, Sephiroth?" Hojo asked

"Yes, Sir."

"Good."

"Professor Hojo, I'm here to help you with your experiment." Hollander announced

"Ugh, they sent you." Hojo growled again

"Yes, seeming as though I no longer have anything to do."

"Fine."

Sephiroth looked at the two men with lab coats on standing in front of them. Two scientists in one room and the other wasn't Gast. Soon, they had forced him into a room where Shin-Ra infantrymen were standing.

"Seriously, we're gonna' fight a kid?" one complained

"Well, if I have to fight a kid to get more pay, I'll do it." Another sighed

"Guys, we better go easy on him, he only looks six."

Sephiroth stood with his sword as all the infantrymen closed in on him and he finally used Octoslash, something he had recently learned. One of the infantrymen was knocked down and his helmet fell off. He got up and charged at Sephiroth with a sword. Sephiroth fell and looked at the infantryman above him.

"Hey, Man, let him go, he's just a kid." His comrade scolded him

Sephiroth got up and instantly saw the room spinning as his knees buckled.

"Hey, I think you just knocked the kid out."

Sephiroth lay crumpled on the ground with a bruise on his forehead. But, when Hojo ran in to get him, the bruise was gone and he was conscious again.

"Good, Hollander, see what he can do?"

"Yes, very impressive."

Hollander left the room and Sephiroth was about to collapse. He tried to stay conscious and not fall on Hojo, but soon he lay asleep on Hojo's shoulder.


	5. Plans

**A/N: I have not worked on this story for a while and thought that the previous conclusion was very hurried. Though a review from JazzQueen reminded me that a proper ending is needed. So, I have decided to prolong Innocence until it is given a proper conclusion. So, on with the story.**

He woke up in the room again.

'What did I do?' He thought

"Ah, you're awake." Hojo's voice cackled

'What did I do, to deserve this?' he kept thinking

"You did very well, however, this business of sleeping in for fourteen days and twelve hours is unacceptable. SOLDIER operatives do NOT do that."

"Sorry, Sir." He apologized

"Just be ready for our meeting with the President tomorrow. YOU will get my funding ensured and maybe start your training for SOLDIER."

He began to realize that he was just a weapon. He wasn't being treated as a child. He began to plan an escape from this world of torture.


	6. Masamune

Professor Hojo grabbed his arm and thrusted the long sword into his hand. Why did his beautiful Masamune need to be used for such deadly deeds?

He was pushed into a room with that held a behemoth.

"So, Sephiroth can heal himself in a matter of seconds?" President Shinra inquired

"Yes, he has been put through combat with the infantrymen and has proved his healing ability."Hojo stated

The young child stared at the beastly monster. He lifted the long blade slowly. The monster walked closer until he was beside Sephiroth's outstretched hand, he could feel every breath of the behemoth.

"M-Make it quick." He murmured

The monster jumped on him and he, briefly, saw the lifestream. The very thing that tortured him, concentrated lifestream, mako.

He stabbed the behemoth and used Octoslash, something he had invented.

"This specimen would like to join SOLDIER." Professor Hojo said

"Not this young, when he is thirteen, he can start SOLDIER training. Then, he can be First Class at eighteen."

"Fine."

Sephiroth looked at Professor Hojo years later. He was due to be temporarily relocated to Niebelheim for three years when he turned nine tomorrow.

Now was the time.


	7. Escape II

**A/N: I just looked at the views and I had no idea how many people looked at this. And since I now have some free time, I may be starting a new fanfic.**

As he was sitting on the helicopter, he looked out at Midgar. He was going to go under the plate, into the slums. He smashed the window and Hojo tried to grab him. It felt like skydiving even though he had done no jumping from an airplane miles in the air. He landed on the plate and ran to the train station. He jumped on the side and hung on, nearly falling to his death. Soon, he was below the plate, in the dark, cold, slums. He found a pile of dirt and rolled around in it to make him look like a boy who lived in the slums.

His green eyes glowed lively and his silver hair shone brightly. His skin and clothing had little specks of dirt.

"It's a little dirty but, I don't have to fight anymore." He murmured

That's all he ever wanted. He didn't want any more shots or fighting.

He walked on until a woman tapped his shoulder.

"Honey, what's your name?" She asked

"Sephiroth." He stated

Sirens started blaring in their ears helicopters were heard above them.


	8. The Price of Freedom

The young Sephiroth thought that he had finally gained freedom. However, not at the cost of others.

The pound of one of the Turks' fists echoed around the room. The woman had dismissed the commotion outside as a problem with one of the reactors and went to bake some cookies. He answered the door and surrendered. His freedom was not worth whatever they would put the woman through.

He was shoved into the helicopter and the door was closed. As he looked down, the woman peered out of the window and he began to sob. His freedom had been so close he could almost taste it and he had selflessly given it up.

He thought, at least he had his sanity, pride, and honor. Three things that made him, at least better than Hojo.


	9. Fantasy

The Turk towered over the young Sephiroth. He half sighed, his human tendencies pulling at his Turk mentality.

"Kid, why do you do this? You know that Hojo is going to torture you somehow."

Sephiroth remained silent and thought about his imaginary family.

That was all the family was, imaginary. He should have just obeyed Hojo, and now he was going to come face to face with death for his antics.

"Silent type, huh?"

The infantrymen were in the other compartment. He usually sat with the Turks who would hold him down but this one was very calm, less violent. However, Sephiroth realized that this was his chance. His chance for escape.

He ran over to the glass with his speed and slammed into it, using the force he had often thought about injuring Hojo with.

He flew out into the air. His air blowing like silver smoke. The night obscured his vision. He hoped that his depth perception had been perfected. He knew that the ground would still be a long way away. However, a cold, solid smashed into his head. He felt the pain and the wind of the helicopter above. He couldn't think, he felt relieved.

The family greeted him. He was on the beach, Costa del Sol, maybe. His "mother" came running up to him.

"Sephy, we have to go home now. We've been here for the whole day."

The voice faded away as he tried to cling to it, cling to his beautiful fantasy world. Soon, black surrounded him.


	10. Nightmare

He heard the cackling and felt the pain, he felt like his lungs were being crushed and his head was pounding. He tried to move his limbs and torso but found himself pinned down by restraints. The cackling was distorted by the swirling mako. His clothes were still on him. Why would Hojo leave his clothes on him. Handprints of red covered him. Blood. HIS blood.

Anger swelled inside of him. Something beeped and he realized wires were stuck to his head which was throbbing. Hojo drained the mako from the small tank. He was still in the restraints and pain overwhelmed him.

He snarled at the mad scientist.

"I HATE YOU!"

"Why did you attempt to escape? I raised you. I allow you to live."

Hojo yelled

"You should have let me die in the slums then."

"YOU are not meant to live like that, when you turn ten years of age you will be part of SOLDIER, first class."

"Let me out of the restraints!"

Sephiroth struggled against the torturous bands of metal. His head was pounding like someone was stepping on it.

"Ah, your concussion is not yet healed."

"Let me out." Sephiroth pleaded

Hojo walked over to a lab assistant.

He left the room and the assistant unlocked the restraints. He was freed of the wires and he looked in a mirror. His eyes had become a brighter green. He was genetically mapped out to be a SOLDIER first class. He looked at his clothes and they were bloody and dirty. But, his face was...perfection. He looked like a child out of place. Like the surreal image of a train coming out of a fireplace. What was he doing here? A boy training to be a SOLDIER first class? It was all like a nightmare. A nightmare that was his life, a nightmare he could never escape from.


	11. First Class

As Sephiroth turned ten years of age, many people already knew his name. He was going to be first class with only a few men. Women were very fond of him. Especially because of his hair, but he had no yearning for love. He was about twenty nine when he met his two closest friends. Genesis often wore mainly red and carried his copy of LOVELESS. Angeal was very philosophical and wore the standard SOLDIER uniform. He grew older and received less torture from Professor Hojo. However, Hojo still acted like he was in charge of him, even in adulthood. But, it was better than his younger days spent submerged in mako or training. He never realized that that was the childhood of a human weapon for Shinra's arsenal. He just focused on the present and the slight pleasure he got from battle.

He was truly happy. But, he never showed it, because he never knew how.


End file.
